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A.' H. TREGD. Car Cdupling.

Patented June 11, 1861.

mm s

Wntnesses [u% X Inventory M414. 7

s. PATENT OFFICE.

Car Coupling.

A. H. TREGO, OF LAMBERTVILLE, NEW JERSEY. 'Letters Patent No. 1,539, dated June ll, 1861.

SPECIFICATION.

To ALL WHOM IT .MAY CONCEBN:

Be it known, that'I, AVH. Tsneo, of Lamhertville, in the county of Hunterdo-n and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and improved Oar Coupling,- and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference'being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are longitudinal vertical sections of my invention, taken in the linear: 00,,figures 3 and 4.

Figures 3 and 4, plans or top views of ditto. H

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.-

This invention relates to that class of car couplings which is termed selfcoupling, and consists in attaching to the bolt a sustaining rod or bar, so arranged in relation with the draw-head that it may be acted upon by the shackle orjlink of an adjoining oa'r, as it enters the draw-head, and made to release the bolt, so that the latter may drop into the link and couple the cars.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my "invention, Iwil1 proceed to describe'it. t

AA represent the draw-heads of'two adjoining railroad cars. These draw-' heads maybe of the usual orjany proper form and connected to the cars in the '-ordinary wayr Each draw=head is provided with a bolt B which passes "vertireally; into and through it, ,and is fitted in a socket or guide a at the top. This socket or guide may he castw'ith the draw-heads in one piece, as shown in draw- 2 U. s. PATENT OFFIGE,1861.N0.1,539.

I Tregos Improved Oar Coupling.

heads A; but, in case my improvement is to be applied to the ordinary draw} heads, the sockets or guides may be secured by bolts or other proper means to the draw-heads; see draw-heads A, figures 1 and 3. I

The bolts B have each attached to them a bar or rod 0. These bars or rods are bent at their upper ends, as shown at b, so that they may project down hehind the draw-headswhen thev bolts B are down within them; see figure 2. The

bars or rods 0 are connected to the upper parts of the bolts B by pivots, so as to form joints and admit of. the swinging, of the bars or rods, the gravity of the latter havinga tendency. to keep their lower ends inwards towards the drawheads, as indicated by the arrows 1 in figures 1 and 2. I n

. D represents the shackle or link, which may be of the usual oblong form. To one end of this shackle or link a spiral spring E is attached at right angles. This spring is of such a length that it will be somewhat compressed, as it is inserted into the draw-head, and thereby retain the shackle or link in a horizon tal position. This will be fullynnderstood by refer-ringto figure 2. The spring, it will be seen, is attached to the shackle-or link about midway of its length, and each bolt B is' attached to its car bed by a chain a*. I

-From the above'description it will be seen, that when either bolt is raised head, so that said bolt will drop within the shackle or link and couple the cars, Id0 .not claim broadly a bolt so arranged as t0 be actuated or let down by the entrance of theshackle or link into the draw-head, for that been previously accomplished, and various means devised for the'pur pose; nor do I claim broadly, or in the abstract, the sustaining of the shackle or bolt' 'i'h the drawhead by a spriiig, for flat springs have been arranged forsuch purpose; but all, so far as l am aware, differ essentially from my within-described invention.

I claim, therefore, as" new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 4 The: attaching of rods or bars to the bolts B, when said rods or bars are arranged as shown, so that their lower ends mayyas thebolts are elevated, drop by their own gravity into the back parts of the draw-heads and sustain the bolts,- the rods or bars being at the same time insuch position as to beacted upon or thrown out by the entrance, of the shackle or link into the dravr beads, so that" the bolt may drop into the link, substantially as described.

I A. H. TREGO: Witnesses:

ASHBEL WELCE, J. A. ANDERSON. 

